776 



no in- I (■ r I.TF RE 



December 7, 1912 



CLUBS AND SOCIETIES 



LANCASTER COUNTY FLORISTS' 

 CLUB. 



Every available seat in the Chamber 

 of Commerce Rooms was occupied 

 and camp stools called into requisition 

 for our meeting on the 21st of Novem- 

 ber. 



The subject of the evening was 

 "Does it pay to grow chrysanthe- 

 mums or not?" M. J. Brinton and B. 

 P. Barr opening the discussion. 



Mr. Brinton says that as chrysanthe- 

 mums have been grown at their place 

 ever since they first began to be a fac- 

 tor in the cut flower product of the 

 greenhouse and presuming that they 

 had ordinary business acumen, they 

 must be a profitable thing to grow. 



"Were I to grow carnations only as 

 some of you do then I would either 

 grow no chrysanthemums or at least 

 only in the space needed for propaga- 

 tion and the growing of the young 

 carnations as they would follow each 

 other without interference and little 

 loss of time. 



I have tried on different occasions 

 the potting of carnation plants from 

 the field and holding them in frames 

 to follow chrysanthemums but the 

 quality of carnation blooms was so in- 

 ferior to those from the earlier estab- 

 lished plants that I shall try it no* 

 more. 



The grower who needs many small 

 bedding plants in the spring can 

 profitably use a good portion of space 

 with the Queen of Autumn and follow 

 with these plants, or with pot stock 

 intended for Easter. 



As a rooted cutting proposition they 

 can be made to succeed themselves to 

 advantage, selling cuttings from them 

 during the late winter and until time 

 to renew the plants again. 



I have left sweet peas for the last 

 suggestion as a crop follower for the 

 chrysanthemums and I believe they 

 are one of the most profitable possi- 

 bilities in the whole list. As I see it 

 there are two requisites for success, 

 solid beds and head room. While 

 peas planted in October or November 

 are not likely to grow as tall as those 

 planted in August, if they are well 

 watered and fed they will push several 

 feet above one's head. The same soil 

 can be used if properly enriched mak- 

 ing the investment light. In planting 

 these late peas do not plant the 

 Spencers, for while they make an 

 abundance of long stemmed flowers 

 they do not bloom until the early out- 

 door varieties are almost beginning. 



In conclusion I would say that chrys- 

 anthemums pay; anything that the 

 public uses can be made to pay just 

 as soon as high quality is produced at 

 a moderate cost. The public want 

 chrysanthemums and will pay for 

 good ones." 



Mr. Barr says that his personal ex- 

 perience has been varied; — "Some- 

 times I have found them profitable, 

 sometimes not. If we can grow one 

 flower to a plant that will wholesale 

 at $2.50 per dozen, or two flowers to a 

 plant that will wholesale at $1.50 per 

 dozen. Growing the plants say eight by 

 ten inches apart, we are making a fair 

 margin of profit, providing the house 



can be used fdr other crops as soon as 

 the chrysanthemums are cut. 



Varieties maturing before November 

 could be sold at least 15 per cent. 

 less, leaving the same margin of profit 

 because we have the use of the space 

 earlier in the season and getting a 

 start before the very short days of 

 winter. 



It has been our custom the last few 

 years to grow as few varieties as pos- 

 sible, each variety being scheduled to 

 bloom at a certain season. 



The varieties we consider most 

 profitable to us from a retail point of 

 view are as follows: For the early 

 varieties. Golden Glow (yellow), Polly 

 Rose (white), Glory of Pacific (pink). 

 Unaka is considered a great favorite 

 by many but with us it was a failure. 

 For the mid-season varieties we grow 

 Robert Halliday (yellow). White 

 Cloud (white), McNiess (pink), and 

 Major Bonnaffon (yellow). For the 

 late varieties we grow both yellow 

 and white Mrs. Jerome Jones, Linwood 

 Hall (white), Maud Dean (pink), and 

 Rosette (pink). 



We have been growing these varie- 

 ties tor the last four years. Some 

 years ago I was very enthusiastic on 

 the chrysanthemum question and 

 bought stock of practically all the 

 new varieties as they were introduced 

 and found to my regret that the larger 

 percentage of the new varieties were 

 a total failure and a dead loss. There 

 are exceptions, however; for instance 

 when Yellow Jones was introduced I 

 bought 500 plants; the first year the 

 flowers did not pay tor the labor of 

 growing them, much less for the plants 

 which were quite costly. Giving them 

 another trial the following year they 

 did remarkably well, producing splen- 

 did flowers, and we have been growing 

 them ever since. 



This is only an instance to illustrate 

 that many times a new variety is dis- 

 carded before it is given a fair chance. 

 However, to make money out of chrys- 

 anthemums it is better to let them be 

 tried out in different soils other than 

 that of the producer before investing 

 heavily in them. 



The chrysanthemum season is real- 

 ly the fall opening of the florists' busi- 

 ness, and by giving them the care and 

 attention needed to produce first-class 

 flowers and with the proper disposition 

 of the beds after the flowers are gone 

 I am quite sure they can be grown 

 with a fair margin of profit." 



These papers were followed by a 

 , general discussion, Mr. Nagle having 

 made a success of the very early va- 

 rieties with the use of sash to cover 

 an out-door space; Mr. Law found the 

 following up with carnations from 

 four-inch pots a success where Golden 

 Glow was the variety used as a prede- 

 cessor. Some years back John N. 

 May of Summit, N. J., grew carnations 

 in flats four inches deep, these flats 

 being held in cool houses until the 

 chrysanthemums were out of the way 

 and then simply set on the beds, not 

 shifted, giving good results. 



S. S. Skidelsky was a visitor and ad- 

 vised the growing of some of the bet- 

 ter new varieties, as the larger grow- 



ers were discarding old varieties for 

 new ones and they certainly knew 

 what they were doing. He also made 

 some remarks on the matter of pub- 

 licity along newspaper lines and was 

 followed by the president who is in 

 hearty accord with the newspaper end 

 of this campaign. 



It is proposed to make a visiting tour 

 about once a month during the grow- 

 ing season of various establishments 

 along the car lines, the first one being 

 Nov. 30th, to Manheim, some thirty 

 signifying their intention to go. 



FLORISTS' CLUB OF PHILADEL- 

 PHIA. 



This meeting (December 3) was the 

 first since the new committees for the 

 year were appointed. None of them 

 (the new committees) reported except 

 the publicity committee. The presi- 

 dent promised that there would be 

 more activity in the derelicts by next 

 meeting. The publicity committee 

 have decided to make an appeal for 

 funds from those interested. That is 

 as far as they have got. The response 

 to this appeal will make or mar the 

 idea. 



Adolph Farenwald gave his ideas 

 on affiliation and Mrs. Chas. Russell 

 rose. Xavier Schmitt spoke of a new 

 pink chrysanthemum he had seen in 

 New York. Wm. Robertson modestly 

 gave his list of prizes won in bowling 

 match at Newark, N. J., on Novem- 

 ber 19th. 



The committee on exhibits reported 

 favorably on carnation Northport. The 

 chairman was not on hand and the 

 balance of the committee had to be 

 dragooned up to get busy. I suppose, 

 Mr. Editor, I should not tell you this; 

 all told, it was a very poor and life- 

 less meeting. What in the name of 

 the seven motherless cats do commit- 

 tees suppose they are appointed for? 



This small news item is not worthy 

 of my signature — which I append only 

 when I think I have something of im- 

 portance to say — but in case any one 

 might think me hiding on the anony- 

 mous, here goes — 



GEORGE C. WATSON. 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NUR- 

 SERYMEN. 

 At the last annual convention of the 

 American Association of Nurserymen 

 the city of Portland, Oregon, was se- 

 lected as the place in which to hold the 

 annual convention of 1913, but the dates 

 for the convention were left in the 

 tands of the Executive Committee for 

 I he purpose of consulting with the 

 trade organization on the coast that 

 dates might be selected best adapted 

 for the holding of the convention. 

 The Executive Committee have just 

 decided upon June 18th, 19th and 20th 

 for the convention. 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS 

 AND ORNAMENTAL HORTI- 

 CULTURISTS. 

 Department of Registration. 



As no objections have been filed, 

 public notice is hereby given that the 

 registration of the new rose — "Mrs. 

 Charles Russell," by the Waban Rose 



